Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Mae Yway

I AM HERE ON THEIR ACCOUNT

I am here on their account… those lines!
After this, I will hover over the waves.

We sat down between the lines sketched in the sand.
Liberty herself has limitations.
Only the reckless waves, having no inhibition,
snuggle up to you sometimes.

When you force yourself out through the sidewall of throes
you’ll find more of the same on the other side.
I soar around all the decisions I’ve taken.
I call it a twenty-five year-old side effect.

She will take a walk/ feed the fish/ make coffee/ light a cigarette.
She will call her girlfriend.
She is in love with her.

She’s the citizen of failed dreams.
Will she still be ‘developing’ even after my death?
Will her miles long bumper-to-bumper queue still eat my daily life?
Will she be able to open her textbooks?
Choices we’ve made, are they for ourselves?

She didn’t want to talk.
She never wanted to talk anyway.

If possible
we sit on the beach, watching the waves.
If I were a three-hearted octopus, how many more times would I suffer?
Maybe I’ll eat my own limbs when I’m downhearted.
When the going gets real tough, maybe I’ll kill myself. 
Maybe I won’t. I should come up for air when I can, so
I can simply sign off this line.

DOOR HEN BEN IK HIER

Door hen ben ik hier…  die regels!
Hierna zal ik boven de golven zweven.

We gingen zitten tussen de lijnen getekend in het zand.
Zelfs vrijheid kent haar beperkingen.
Alleen de roekeloze golven, ongeremd als ze zijn,
kruipen soms tegen je aan.

Als je jezelf naar buiten duwt door de zijmuur van de pijn
zul je aan de andere kant meer van hetzelfde vinden.
Ik scheer rond alle beslissingen die ik heb genomen.
Ik noem het een vijfentwintig jaar oude bijwerking.

Ze zal een wandeling maken / de vissen voeren / koffiezetten / een sigaret opsteken.
Ze zal haar vriendin bellen.
Ze is verliefd op haar.

Zij is de inwoner van mislukte dromen.
Zal ze zich blijven ‘ontwikkelen’, zelfs na mijn dood?
Zal haar stoet bumperklevers aan mijn leven blijven knagen?
Zal ze in staat zijn haar schoolboeken te openen?
De keuzes die we maakten, maakten we die voor onszelf?

Ze wilde niet praten.
Ze wilde toch al nooit praten.

Indien mogelijk
kunnen we op het strand gaan zitten, naar de golven kijken.
Als ik een octopus met drie harten was, hoeveel vaker zou ik dan nog moeten lijden?
Misschien eet ik mijn eigen ledematen wel op als ik neerslachtig ben.
Als het echt zwaar wordt, ga ik misschien zelfmoord plegen.
Misschien doe ik het niet. Ik kom naar boven voor lucht wanneer ik maar kan, zodat
ik deze regel gewoon kan aftikken.

Close

I AM HERE ON THEIR ACCOUNT

I am here on their account… those lines!
After this, I will hover over the waves.

We sat down between the lines sketched in the sand.
Liberty herself has limitations.
Only the reckless waves, having no inhibition,
snuggle up to you sometimes.

When you force yourself out through the sidewall of throes
you’ll find more of the same on the other side.
I soar around all the decisions I’ve taken.
I call it a twenty-five year-old side effect.

She will take a walk/ feed the fish/ make coffee/ light a cigarette.
She will call her girlfriend.
She is in love with her.

She’s the citizen of failed dreams.
Will she still be ‘developing’ even after my death?
Will her miles long bumper-to-bumper queue still eat my daily life?
Will she be able to open her textbooks?
Choices we’ve made, are they for ourselves?

She didn’t want to talk.
She never wanted to talk anyway.

If possible
we sit on the beach, watching the waves.
If I were a three-hearted octopus, how many more times would I suffer?
Maybe I’ll eat my own limbs when I’m downhearted.
When the going gets real tough, maybe I’ll kill myself. 
Maybe I won’t. I should come up for air when I can, so
I can simply sign off this line.

I AM HERE ON THEIR ACCOUNT

I am here on their account… those lines!
After this, I will hover over the waves.

We sat down between the lines sketched in the sand.
Liberty herself has limitations.
Only the reckless waves, having no inhibition,
snuggle up to you sometimes.

When you force yourself out through the sidewall of throes
you’ll find more of the same on the other side.
I soar around all the decisions I’ve taken.
I call it a twenty-five year-old side effect.

She will take a walk/ feed the fish/ make coffee/ light a cigarette.
She will call her girlfriend.
She is in love with her.

She’s the citizen of failed dreams.
Will she still be ‘developing’ even after my death?
Will her miles long bumper-to-bumper queue still eat my daily life?
Will she be able to open her textbooks?
Choices we’ve made, are they for ourselves?

She didn’t want to talk.
She never wanted to talk anyway.

If possible
we sit on the beach, watching the waves.
If I were a three-hearted octopus, how many more times would I suffer?
Maybe I’ll eat my own limbs when I’m downhearted.
When the going gets real tough, maybe I’ll kill myself. 
Maybe I won’t. I should come up for air when I can, so
I can simply sign off this line.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
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